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Do you ever hang onto an old gift card because it has $5.48 left on it, but you’re not sure where to use it, and it takes up space in your sock drawer?
If you have old Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express brand gift cards, you can unload the remaining balance into your Amazon account to use on Amazon purchases, and the Amazon credit will not expire.
Before you load the gift card into Amazon, make sure to activate the gift card through the website listed on the back of the card. Through the website, you can also check your balance and access your account.
Transfer Balances on Credit Card Gift Cards to Amazon for Shopping Credit
Here's how to transfer your balances:
- Once you know how much is left on the gift card, load it into your Amazon account by going to the “Reload Your Balance” page.
- When it asks for the amount you want to add to your account balance, enter the exact amount left on the non-Amazon gift card.
- Select the payment method as a credit card and enter the gift card number.
- Select “Reload,” and the funds are transferred from the gift card to your Amazon account.
This trick is also beneficial if you have a large purchase to make on Amazon. Amazon does not let you split transactions between two credit cards but will allow you to apply an Amazon gift card to the total purchase amount. So, if you have, for example, a Visa gift card worth $100, you can apply it to a $500 Amazon purchase with this trick.
The Best Credit Cards to Maximize Amazon Purchases
Purchase New Gift Cards to Earn Points and Miles
All of these gift cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express gift cards) can be a great way to earn points and miles through your credit cards as well, depending on where you purchase the gift cards.
If your local gas station sells Visa or Mastercard gift cards, you can purchase these from the gas station using a credit card with a qualifying rewards structure.
However, be aware that many of these gift cards require an activation fee of around $4 to $8, which can erode the points you earn from purchasing them.
You can also ask Chase to combine your business and personal accounts so you can transfer the points value of cash back from a Chase Ink Business Cash account to a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred® account. Once transferred to one of these accounts with access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, all of the combined points can be used for travel, which can be more lucrative than redeeming points for cash back.
Julia Menez
Julia Menez is a points and miles personal finance coach, travel expert, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast. After traveling to over 30 countries before age 30 and saving thousands of dollars along the way with points and miles, Julia provides easy-to-practice advice to consumers on how to get the most out of their credit card benefits, including trip protection and luxury travel opportunities.
